So pumped about the Marvel tarot deck but… Jean Grey as Death? Really? Death is supposed to be about permanent transformation and finality. Jean’s whole deal is coming back from the dead over and over. She’s literally the Phoenix! Feels like they missed the mark there.
Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet would’ve been perfect for Death. That snap? Ultimate finality right there. Hoping the pip cards make up for it with actual imagery instead of just symbols. The Wolverine claws for Three of Swords sounds genius though. Anyone else have thoughts on the character assignments for Marvel tarot decks?
I’ve had a few small decks that were just custom-made Etsy sellers, and there are a lot of really bad decks out there that wouldn’t make sense to Marvel or Tarot fans. They just stick some artwork and names together and try to cash in on the brand name.
This might be one of the best ones. It’s the original Tarot but with artwork that actually makes sense with Marvel characters. Avengers is the obvious choice:
What about Mystique for the Moon card? Her shapeshifting nature matches up with all the illusions and hidden stuff we deal with in shadow work.
Now when I pull the Moon, I picture stripping away fake identities to get to the real self, like finding out who Mystique actually is under all those forms she takes. The Moon’s already about deception and unconscious stuff anyway. A character who changes faces constantly just makes sense for that card.
Got Hulk reversed today from my homemade Marvel deck (he’s my Strength card). The whole Banner/Hulk dynamic really hits when you’re dealing with your own anger issues.
Been collecting pop culture tarot decks lately (the anime deck thread didn’t help!). So many of them just stick characters on cards with zero thought about the meanings.
The Jean Grey as Death debate gives me some hope, though. People actually caring about symbolism instead of just churning out another deck for quick money.
The Persona games made me realize Marvel characters fit tarot cards pretty well. Like Spider-Man as the Fool card, new to his powers, doesn’t know his strength yet. Or Doctor Strange showing up as the Hermit when you need to stop searching everywhere else and just look inside yourself.
I thought I saw news recently about an actual marvel wolverine one? These seem like third-party decks which… I’m fine with really as long as the quality is there.
In some cultures, tarot interpretations can vary significantly, and integrating Marvel characters [specifically from the X-Men universe] might offer a fresh perspective.
For example, in Japanese culture, Phoenixes are symbols of rebirth and renewal, aligning perfectly with Jean Grey’s role as Death [referring to her transformation into the Phoenix Force and subsequent role in the cosmic cycle]. It’s interesting to see how these cultural interpretations [particularly Eastern mythological perspectives] can add depth to the readings [creating a unique fusion of pop culture and traditional divination practices].
I stick with my old Rider-Waite deck mostly. The Marvel deck seems interesting though. How do they handle reversed cards? I’m wondering if the characters’ meanings flip or if it works differently than traditional decks.
Jean seems more like The Tower than Death to me. When the Phoenix force appears, it causes a sudden and explosive change. The Tower represents those moments of drastic transformation, which fits the Phoenix quite well. Death is more of a slow, natural change, like autumn turning to spring. But Jean’s transformations are massive events that impact entire universes.
The Tower’s theme of destruction leading to enlightenment aligns more with the Phoenix energy. I understand the connection to Death because of the rebirth cycle, though. Maybe she shows both, depending on which part of her story we look at. And yeah, pip decks are all about what you like.
I really need those illustrated minors to connect with the cards.
Been using tarot and oracle decks for a while now. Jean Grey as Death? Makes sense to me. The whole Phoenix thing is death and rebirth on repeat, which is what that card’s really about anyway. I’ve mixed pop culture decks with traditional ones before and when the characters fit the card’s actual meaning, you get better readings.
I don’t really mind decks based on pop culture stuff but I’m just not a big fan of Marvel. I kind of get how it could be seen as cheapening the experience when the brand behind it don’t have a great reputation.
just got this deck and yeah, the artwork is really nice. love the imagery. the cardstock is kinda disappointing though, feels thin and there’s not much coating on them. i’m worried about how they’ll hold up with regular shuffling and readings. might have to be extra careful with these ones. shame because the art deserves better quality cards.
